Official Review: The Secret Price of History

[csimmons032]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Secret Price of History" by Gayle Ridinger and Paolo Pochettino.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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The Secret Price of History is written by Gayle Ridinger and Paolo Pochettino. In Rome, during the 1850s, Goffredo, Sandor, and Eleonora are fighting for Italian unification. They find a medallion during a fight against French soldiers. The medallion is connected to a mysterious treasure that could help French Emperor Napoleon III make a name for himself in history. Goffredo, Sandor, and Eleonora are all unaware of the connections that medallion has and would much rather have it burned, but things end up getting in the way. The three of them continue to fight for their freedom, but eventually lose touch. After years of being separated, and believing each other to be dead, the are reunited. Throughout their lives, the mystery of the medallion still hangs over them.

In the twenty-first century, the mystery is finally resolved by Goffredo and Eleonora's great-great granddaughter Angie Cebrelli. In 2008 America, Angie Cebrelli wears her inherited medallion to a Gettysburg Civil War reenactment. There, Angie is shot in the arm with a bullet. Days later, a photo of her medallion is found in Rome next to the mutilated body of Father Kevin. Angie works together with an Italian police detective named Filippo Dardanoni to solve this murder and discover the treasure that is connected to this medallion. The medallion has reached many places and many people throughout history, but it took centuries to find out the truth behind it.

What I liked about this novel is that you were transported to a different place and time in each chapter. What was unique about each story is that the medallion is connected to so many events in history. Each story is different but the medallion connects all of these different characters, living in different times, together. This novel was mysterious and interesting at the same time. The authors did a good job at weaving different periods in history together along with a story from the twenty-first century as well. Not only do you have the mystery of the medallion, but you are also figuring out a murder mystery as well.

One thing that I didn't care for about this novel is that it was a little confusing. There were so many different characters that it was a little difficult to keep track of all of them. The novel was also a little bit lengthy, which is why I found myself getting a little bored about half way through. I think narrowing the book down to maybe about three-hundred pages would have made easier to get through without losing interest. There were also a few cuss words throughout the book. Other than these minor issues, it was a good book and I would recommend it to others. For the people who really enjoy reading about history, then this is the right book for you. You will be satisfied by getting to read about different times and places in history, and at the same time, you will have a mystery in the novel as well.

I give The Secret Price of History 3 out of 4 stars. I didn't think it deserved a lower score because it was a fascinating book and my issues with it were mostly personal preferences. I didn't give it 4 stars because, as I mentioned above, it was a little confusing sometimes because there were so many different characters and time periods to keep track of. Otherwise, it is a good book that I think others will find interesting as well.

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The Secret Price of History
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[Rachaelamb1]

Sounds like an interesting and unique story. Although if 300 pages is halfway through the book then it is too long for me!

[Ealasaid]

Very interesting review. Thank you for sharing!

[TheMusicalMuse]

Historical fiction, mystery, a little bit of crime/suspense, all in one book? Sounds like a winner to me! Thanks for your review!

[csimmons032]

Thank you Rachaelamb1, Ealasaid, and TheMusicMuse for responding to my review. I am glad that you all enjoyed it. It definitely does have a little bit of everything. You certainly do have to have a lot of patience though, or the capacity to get through long books quickly. I used to be able to handle long books pretty well, but now the book has to be extremely good for me to not get bored lol. It was an interesting book though, just a little too long for me. I hope those of you who decide to try it though enjoy it. Thanks again

[bookowlie]

Nice, insightful review. When there are too many characters, I also get confused remembering who's who. I read a book recently that took place in Afghanistan. There were so many characters and many of them had long names that started with the same letter. It was difficult to keep track of who was the daughter, aunt, mother-in-law, etc.

[csimmons032]

Thank you bookowlie for responding to my review. I am glad that you enjoyed it Yes, so many different characters can be very confusing. I can keep track of maybe two or three main characters, but any more than that is just confusing and hard to keep track of. Thanks again